


An Even Match

by carpfish



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fist Fights, Flirting, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension, part 2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-03-06 12:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18851239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpfish/pseuds/carpfish
Summary: Branching off part of @retiredstarmiya's Azumuku Royal AU.Draped in the silky greys and greens of the Spring Kingdom’s dress uniform, intelligent eyes hidden behind round-rimmed glasses, Utsuki Chikage had looked every bit the visiting foreign diplomat that he claimed to be. But all Guy had seen was the tense guardedness of the man's every move, the controlled power in his lithe frame, the dangerous slant of his narrow gaze. This man was no scholar, nor was he someone to be trusted.Guy thinks that Spring's newest advisor is a shady character. Chikage has other ideas.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Premise and background all belong to Lia and Sof, thank you for letting me play a bit in your Royal AU sandbox! If you like Azamuku (+ misc ships like Bantsum and Chikaguy), royal drama, fantasy AUs, and sweet romance, I highly highly recommend checking out the [AU comic series ](https://twitter.com/retiredstarmiya/status/1112031952037531650) that created the world of this oneshot. Please read!! I adore this sandbox.
> 
> Chikage is looking to get some, as always, but I swear this work is SFW. 
> 
> All the context you need for this oneshot is:  
> \- Guy was formerly King Citronia's advisor in the Spring Kingdom, but is currently dispatched in the Autumn Kingdom as royal tutor to Princes Muku and Azami  
> \- Yeah, Chikage was totally an assassin
> 
> That's all you need to know for now, please enjoy!

“Advisor Utsuki, I deeply appreciate you joining me today.” Guy gives a polite bow as he steps into one of the Autumn castle’s many sparring grounds. “Since my deployment as royal tutor, I have had few chances to train one-on-one like this.”

His partner, on the other hand, is far less reverent as he enters the ring, hands buried in the pockets of his loose training slacks as he surveys the surrounding barracks. “Oh, spare me the titles, Ambassador Guy,” he says, his tone light and flippant. “I’m merely filling your illustrious seat as advisor in your absence, after all.” Guy had seen him with glasses earlier, but now without them, the man’s eyes look even more sly and narrow “ _ You _ can just call me Chikage.”

Guy schools his face into perfect neutrality as he sizes up the man before him. Utsuki Chikage, Citronia’s newest advisor, a former scholar hired to the Spring Court as Guy’s replacement. Guy had been informed of Utsuki’s employment, reviewed his records, looked into his background checks when he’d heard of the new advisory candidate. Everything checked out and the man seemed as qualified as could be to take Guy’s former post at Citronia’s side. Guy still has difficulty recognizing his own emotions at times, but he remembers feeling a great sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. A new, capable advisor meant that even in Guy's absence, Citronia would be well-served and the Spring Kingdom would be looked after, and that was a  _ relieving _ thing.

All that relief vanished the moment Guy actually met the man as part of Citronia's visiting retinue. Dressed in the silky greys and greens of the Spring Kingdom’s dress uniform, intelligent eyes hidden behind round-rimmed glasses, Utsuki Chikage had looked every bit the visiting foreign diplomat that he claimed to be. But all Guy had seen was the tense guardedness of the man's every move, the controlled power in his lithe frame, the dangerous slant of his narrow gaze. This man was no scholar, nor was he someone to be trusted. 

Guy's suspicions are only further confirmed by the man's current demeanor. Right at the cusp of a fight-  _ no, a training bout _ , Guy's mind corrects, since he would never  _ fight _ one of his own kingdom's envoys- Utsuki appears loose-limbed and lax, but Guy feels the man's gaze subtly trained on him, taking in his every move. This is not the demeanor of someone unused to combat. 

“Ambassador,” Utsuki calls out suddenly. “Isn't Autumn known for their military? I hardly think you'd be starved for partners with all these strapping young soldiers around.” The question is a valid one, but Guy is oddly caught off guard. He hadn't thought that Utsuki would have the nerve to turn to question him when he himself is so questionable. But the fact that Utsuki is already on the offensive just proves that he's got something to defend. 

“The soldiers have their own strict regimen to follow, they hardly have time to humor me,” Guy replies. “But more importantly, it has come to my attention that you are particularly skilled in combat, especially for a former scholar.”

“Oh? So this is a test. You’re testing me.” Utsuki arches an eyebrow and there’s nothing dangerous about it, but Guy registers it as a threat nonetheless. “Very well, I’ll try not to let you down, Ambassador.” Utsuki removes his hands from his pockets and pulls them up above his head in a long, exaggerated stretch. His shirt rides up to expose a slim, muscled waist and taut stomach. A body built from extensive training, Guy notes. Whatever Utsuki has done, he’s been doing it for a very long time. 

“In return, don’t go easy on me, alright?” Utsuki’s eyes catch Guy’s inspecting gaze. “I’ll take everything you’ve got.” 

Guy does not think very much of Utsuki’s confidence, but it doesn’t seem entirely like a bluff either. He closes the distance between them to the prerequisite three-paces at the center of the sparring ring, then sinks into a basic front stance, waiting for Utsuki’s approach. Utsuki makes no large movements, but Guy sees him subtly slide a foot into horizontal position and shift his weight back. A cat stance, Guy recognizes. It oddly suits him. Utsuki carries a distinctly feline air of toying with his prey, and it makes Guy wonder if he intends to take this seriously at all. 

Utsuki’s voice cuts through Guy’s thoughts on the matter. “By the way, Ambassador, wouldn’t you rather change into something more comfortable before sparring? That shirt looks a bit constricting.” 

Guy’s attention flies to his own attire- loose pants and a tunic, his usual training clothes. He doesn’t see anything particularly constricting about it, but now that Utsuki has mentioned it, he feels much more conscious of the fibers’ coarseness on his skin. Why would Utsuki bring that up now? “I’m quite fine, thank you for your concern,” Guy responds, trying to shake off the feeling of discomfort.

Utsuki’s mouth takes on an enigmatic slant and he huffs a small sigh. “How disappointing. Have it your way.” 

Before Guy can even begin to register what’s disappointing, Utsuki has closed the gap between them with blinding speed. Guy barely has time to block the incoming punch. Utsuki’s knee swings in from the side, and Guy jerks back to avoid it. Only two strikes in, and Guy’s lost his footing and is on the defensive. Not a good position to be in, but he’s come back from worse odds. Utsuki is quick on his feet, that much is certain. Guy knew he was dangerous, but he’s proving himself to be more of a threat with every minute. Not a threat that Guy's allowed neutralize, though.  _ Unfortunately,  _ he secretly allows himself.

Guy grounds himself in his stance and fends off another flurry of rapid blows. Utsuki’s movements are fast and fluid, nimbly spinning from roundhouse into hook kick with no time for Guy to recover. Guy feels his footwork slipping with every hurried block, and it just isn’t like him to be so sloppy. He should be able to do better, he knows he  _ can  _ do better. An unidentifiable emotion churns within Guy’s chest, unsettling in its unfamiliarity. Something just has him distracted and off-kilter and unable to perform.

That  _ something _ is currently wearing a knife-edge grin as he throws a punch towards where Guy’s face was half a second ago. But Utsuki’s success thus far leaves him over-confident, and Guy spots a moment’s opening as his opponent recovers from the lunge. With an unbidden roar, Guy grabs Utsuki’s outstretched arm, twisting it at the elbow to immobilize. Breaking the new Spring advisor’s arm isn’t exactly diplomatic behavior, Guy dimly notes to himself. But in the heat of combat and under Utsuki’s narrow gaze, he can’t bring himself to care. 

There is a split second of stillness as both fighters take stock of their position. Guy braces himself to toss his opponent. No matter how many blows he’s landed, once Utsuki’s back hits the ground, it’s Guy’s victory. The thought of winning sends a vicious flare of triumph searing through Guy. He feels far more viscerally about this spar than he ever has in all his years of training, and it’s with a jolt that Guy realizes. What’s been throwing him off balance during this whole match is an  _ emotion _ . And it’s one that he can name.   

Just before Guy comes to a realization about his feelings, something shifts in his grip. Guy’s gaze darts up from Utsuki’s arm to the rest of his body. Taking his eyes off the opponent, what a rookie mistake. But if Utsuki’s grin was cocky before, it’s downright shit-eating now. Guy watches as Utsuki twists his body away from his arm, far further than any person should be able to. It’s sickening to watch, but Guy’s moment of surprise allows Chikage enough time to wind up and swing a haymaker at Guy’s head. 

Utsuki is infuriating, and the emotion that Guy feels is anger. This man  _ pisses him the fuck off. _

Guy has no choice but to let go of his opponent’s captive arm and spring back to avoid the blow.  _ Dislocated?  _ Guy thinks, watching Utsuki bonelessly pop his arm back into place where it should be. But the man hardly seems worse for the wear as he lunges towards Guy for yet another attack.  _ No, double-jointed _ , Guy decides, intercepting an incoming hammerfist. The realization jogs something in Guy’s memory. He knows he’s heard of double-jointed fighters somewhere, but it’s difficult to recall the exact source when he’s still fending off Utsuki’s unrelenting assault.

Guy senses himself nearing the edge of the sparring ring. While not nearly as glamorous as a takedown, being pushed out of the bounds of the arena would result in Utsuki’s victory. Guy refuses to let that slide. Catching Utsuki’s fist in a cross block, Guy surges forward into a spear-hand, shifting into the offensive. Now it’s Utsuki’s turn to be caught off guard. Now aware of his own anger, Guy will back down no longer.

Every full-bodied punch and forceful palm strike drives Utsuki back towards the center of the ring. As Guy gains more ground, he finds himself with more opportunity to observe Utsuki and act against him, rather than just reacting. Utsuki swings down with the closed side of his fist, but Guy easily blocks it with an upwards thrust of his forearm and counters with a punch. Utsuki seems inordinately fond of this move, Guy notes with some curiosity. The hammerfist is a technique that he usually sees from larger, heavier opponents with greater weight to put behind it, not lithe, quick-footed fighters like Utsuki. 

Utsuki demonstrates this acuity of footwork by sliding back several paces in one smooth motion, re-centering himself with his default cat stance. Guy watches him hold his hands in loose fists, thumbs facing inwards with a slight downwards tilt.  _ As if gripping onto daggers,  _ Guy concludes. That would explain the hammerfists, if Utsuki is more used to stabbing and slicing than punching.

_ A double-jointed knife fighter with extraordinary speed and agility. _ Utsuki dives in with a clawed swipe at Guy’s eyes.  _ And he fights dirty too _ , Guy thinks, sidestepping the blow and Utsuki’s attempted knee to the solar plexus. It does not escape Guy’s notice that none of these are skills befitting of a supposed scholar, but Utsuki has all but admitted to that lie at this point. Right now, Guy is more fixated at what Utsuki could possibly be rather than what he isn’t. 

It’s something small that finally brings together the pieces of the puzzle. Now that he’s no longer got the upper hand, Utsuki’s forehead is beaded with sweat and his breathing has become visibly more ragged. Nonetheless, he still has the gall to slip his tongue out and lick his lips in a slow, intentional taunt. Rather than a cat, Guy thinks, Utsuki is a more like a snake. A beautiful, gemlike snake that hides in the grass with a wicked bite. It is this innocuous comparison sparks a memory deep in the recesses of Guy’s mind. 

Ever since Citronia had taken the throne, the Spring Kingdom has always chosen diplomacy and peacekeeping over military might. One of Citronia’s first moves as ruler had been the dissolution of Spring’s notorious black ops division, the very one that had trained Guy himself. Guy had supported Citronia’s decision even in the face of considerable opposition, but there was no way he could allow his liege to remain ignorant and unguarded from danger. As a result, it had fallen to Guy to organize a small, secret intelligence corp, just to remain aware of potential threats and how to protect Spring from them. While Guy’s duties as advisor prevented him from doing much of the legwork himself, these handpicked agents answered to him alone and he would often receive intelligence dossiers from throughout the four kingdoms. 

Right now, Guy recalls one of these reports suddenly and in vivid detail.  _ Nobleman and retinue ambushed in deep forest route southeast of Summer capital. Single assailant, suspected affiliation with assassin’s guild. Dual daggers laced with poison. Exceedingly flexible- possibly double-jointed? Three casualties, one fatality. Motive unknown.  _ It’s far from solid evidence and Guy knows he would be hard-pressed to prove his suspicions. But the details seem so oddly specific that Guy finds it unlikely that they could be completely unrelated. Even if the assassin in the report was not was Utsuki himself, it’s a distinct possibility that he could be affiliated with the same guild. In addition, Guy has always endeavored to keep emotion from clouding his judgment, but when he asks himself whether he could see Utsuki as a hired killer, his instinctive response is a  _ hell yes _ . 

Guy had not trusted Utsuki before, but at this point, he’d rather kill the man than leave him alone with Citronia. Unfortunately, years of advisory duties have dulled Guy’s black ops instincts and he’s familiar enough with the Spring court to know that he could never get away with murdering the newly-appointed advisor. So instead, now that he’s confirmed his suspicions and ascertained Utsuki’s threat level, Guy decides to end this farce of a sparring session. 

Utsuki has aimed for the eyes and crotch several times already, so Guy sees no problem with playing dirty as well. When Utsuki comes in for the next blow, Guy shoots out his hand to grab the man’s throat and in a display of raw fury and power, slams him to the ground. Utsuki makes a choking sound as he hits the dirt like a ragdoll, and Guy follows him down, pinning him with his body. Like this, he can feel the taut, corded muscle that lies beneath Utsuki’s loose clothing, testament to a lifetime of training and combat. This man, a _ scholar _ ? Guy internally scoffs. What a barefaced lie. 

What Guy can also feel is that Utsuki is not resisting. Despite his vicious offensive earlier, the man now lies limp and unmoving beneath Guy’s hold. In fact, Utsuki looks up at Guy with an smug, unbothered grin, as if he has yet to recognize his own loss. Or rather, as if he’s the one who’s won. Guy might have Utsuki physically pressed to the dirt, but Utsuki has him pinned with that searing eye contact, filled with some sort of hidden meaning that Guy just can’t quite decipher. 

Utsuki shifts under Guy, tilting his hips up against the other man’s body, and Guy realizes that he wants to unravel this code until Utsuki has nowhere left to hide. 

Guy presses his own hips down in return, grinding down even harder than Utsuki had before, and that seems to finally break Utsuki’s nonplussed facade. Without a pair of glasses to hide behind, it’s impossible for Utsuki to hide the way that his eyes widen and nostrils flare in that brief, clear moment of surprise. Guy has no trouble identifying the emotion that seeps through him at that sight, at the sound of Utsuki’s soft, sharp inhale. This is the victory that he wished for. 

Guy’s emotions must be affecting his focus much more than he’d thought, because next thing he knows, Utsuki has a hand on the back of Guy’s head, gently pushing down to bring their faces closer to one another. “Your win, Ambassador,” Utsuki whispers, voice quivering with the obvious strain of maintaining his composure. “And what now?” 

Everything about Utsuki’s body language, from the bated breath to tense shoulders, signals that he wants something. Just when Guy feels as though he’s on the verge of figuring out what, a pair of voices ring out from the other side of the training grounds.

“G-g-guy sensei? What are you-”

“Gu~y! You’d better not be bullying my new advisor!”   

The approaching presence of his student and his liege cuts short whatever breakthrough Guy may have reached. He releases Utsuki from his grip, rises to his feet, and is met with Prince Azami’s red-faced gawking and King Citronia’s delighted leering. 

“Milord, Prince.” Guy’s diplomatic training snaps to the forefront and he addresses them in order, giving appropriately angled bows in accordance to their respective stations. “Advisor Utsuki was so kind as to accompany me for a training bout. My apologies for having pulled him away from your service, milord.” 

Azami has yet to look properly at Guy through the splayed out hands covering his vision, but Citron looks the opposite of bothered at his advisors’ sparring. “Oh no worries at all, Guy. I’m just glad to see you haven’t grown old and rusty in your time away from us,” Citron teases, before directing a wide grin towards Utsuki, who’s just gotten up from the ground. “Guy is quite the fighter, isn’t he, Chikage?”

“He certainly is, milord,” Utsuki responds, and it’s a severe breach of courtly protocol for him to answer Citron’s question while looking at Guy instead. “In fact, I would be absolutely delighted to join him for a second round-”

“Unfortunately, that may not be possible,” Azami interjects, finally peeking out from between his fingers. “King Citron has requested Sir Utsuki to accompany him on a tour around the capital.” 

“Sorry to interrupt,  _ ne _ !”  

Utsuki dusts himself off with a sigh. “Well, I suppose I could be convinced to survey more of the beautiful sights that Autumn has to offer,” he laughs, but the way he says it does not leave the impression that he’s referring to  _ scenery _ . “The rematch will have to wait for another time, Ambassador Guy. I’m looking forward to it.” 

As Guy watches Utsuki walk away at Citron’s side, calmly rebuffing all of Citron’s jokes and teases, he cannot help but concede that Utsuki looks very natural in his role. But it is far from a vote of trust, let alone approval. All at once, every suspicion and question that Guy had intended to interrogate Utsuki with flies back into his mind. What is Utsuki’s affiliation with that assassin’s guild? What are his intentions towards Citronia? Why is he here? And what does he want with Guy? These questions pulse with such urgency that Guy can scarcely believe he had managed to forget them. How strong had his emotions been, in order to banish all reason and thought like that? Feelings are an essential component of humanity, Guy has learned, but their power still leaves in him in fear and awe at times. These too, he must remind himself, are good, natural emotions. 

In the end, Guy has gained some insight into the character and qualifications of Spring’s newest advisor, but the questions uncovered threaten to overwhelm him. Rather than feeling as though he’s learnt anything at all, Guy feels at a complete loss. However, he is not entirely convinced that Utsuki walked away unscathed either. The sound of Utsuki’s startled gasp and that glimmering instance of vulnerability from a very guarded man, has been all but engraved into Guy’s memory. 

Guy watches the shape of Utsuki’s retreating back until it has disappeared out of sight, and hopes that his gaze is not so hot that it alerts Utsuki of his stare. Perhaps this match was a draw after all. 

If so, Guy does not intend to lose their rematch.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scribbled on the borders, hidden in the margins. Theirs is a love that requires reading between the lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after [this ](https://twitter.com/retiredstarmiya/status/1118538141269315584)[sequence](https://twitter.com/retiredstarmiya/status/1118806934604275712) [in ](https://twitter.com/retiredstarmiya/status/1118806937255026688)[the comics](https://twitter.com/retiredstarmiya/status/1123152466856398848), after Guy has gone and returned from Lovesick Leave.

Guy heaves a long sigh as he finally takes seat at his desk in Autumn’s royal study. It has been several weeks since his impromptu leave to go back to the Spring Kingdom, and between meetings with King Izumida, lessons with the young princes, and keeping up with his own personal training, he’s scarcely had a moment of breathing room since he returned. Only now, late at night after the princes have gone to bed, does he have time to sit down, relax, and… Read through the latest reports sent to him from the Spring Kingdom. Guy pauses for a moment to massage the bridge of his nose. 

Perhaps it had not been the wisest decision for Guy to drop his many duties and journey back home so abruptly. There is still so much curriculum about diplomacy and courtly manners that he must drill into Prince Azami’s head before further celebrations, so many lessons on the Autumn Kingdom’s customs and expectations that he must prepare Prince Muku for before the wedding, and so little time before the newly proposed terms for trade treaties between Spring and Autumn are ratified into formal policy. The amount of work he had left unfinished before his travels has only compounded with the tasks built up during his absence.  Perhaps going on this leave was not the smartest thing to do, but considering how unfocused and ineffective he had been right beforehand, he is fairly certain the trip home was a necessary and helpful bit of self-maintenance. 

Guy allows himself a brief moment of reminiscence before getting to work. He has no qualms with his current position in the Autumn Kingdom, but he really had not realized how much he missed Spring until he had the chance to return. It had been nice to see Citronia’s sunny smile welcoming him home, to walk the familiar castle halls again, and to… Guy attempts to cut off that train of thought before it begins, but to no avail. Seeing Utsuki in Spring had prompted many developments, most of which Guy has still yet to process. But one thing that the trip’s events have made clear to Guy, and likely everyone else around him, is that his feelings for Utsuki have progressed far past his initial “loathing”. 

Utsuki Chikage is still as shady a character as ever, and he remains remarkably capable of sparking feelings of irritation in Guy’s stoic chest. However, Guy has come to accept and even cherish those moments of annoyance, longing, and endearment that the other man inspires within him. When it comes to Utsuki, there are many things that Guy is unsure of, as well as many things that he cannot name. But as petty as they may be sometimes, these nuanced, everyday emotions are ones that Guy had once thought he was no longer capable of experiencing. Another thing that the black ops had failed to take away from him after all. What Utsuki awakens within him is startlingly and pleasantly human, and Guy finds himself enjoying it. 

And of course, there were other things that he enjoyed while in Spring. Certain enjoyments that had left Chigasaki ready to file complaints against Guy and Utsuki both by the time the visit had come to an end. Guy’s impressions of his first spar with Utsuki read very differently, now that he has new memories of the man’s firm, lithe body pressed beneath him in a much more intimate setting. Immediately, Guy attempts to banish the phantom feeling of hot lips against his and blunt nails scratching down his back. Utsuki had always been a distraction even when Guy had disliked him, but now even the thought of him is enough to get Guy hot under the collar in another way. 

This, obviously, is not the ideal state for reviewing the latest reports on the political state of Spring Kingdom. Guy clears his throat abruptly, as if it’ll rid him of this unexpected warmth, and breaks open the official Spring seal to flip open the documents. Right at the top of the file is a letter from Citronia, updating Guy on all the personal on-goings of the Spring court’s staff as well as his own daily activities. Guy looks it over once, smiling at the choice of brightly-colored ink and swooping handwriting before setting the letter aside. He’ll read it again in more detail once his work is complete. Unfortunately, there is still much to do tonight and only so many hours till daybreak.

Between a series of policy revisions under still under review and an extensive list of proposed honeymoon locations for after the Princes’ marriage, time passes by in a blur. Technically, as diplomat to Autumn, Guy does not  _ need _ to remain so involved with governing affairs back in Spring unless they require international negotiation. In fact, he is likely not  _ supposed _ to be so over involved with things back home. However the truth of the matter is that Guy is a worrywart, as Citronia puts it, and is not at ease remaining unaware of how things are doing back in Spring. As former advisor to the crown, he can’t blindly entrust everything to his rather shady successor just because it turns out that successor is a very talented kisser. 

By the time Guy reaches an account of recent crop yields and their effects on tax collection, the wick on his candle has burnt low and he is ready to call it a night. However, as he skims the top of the document, a seemingly innocuous phrase catches his attention.

_ Aside from the royal orchards’ plentiful citrus harvests, we have also experienced a superbloom of ranunculus; the flowers are beautiful.  _

At first, the words stand out due to their strange sentimentality, something that Guy rarely sees in official documents such as this. However, it takes only a moment of scrutiny before Guy catches onto their hidden meaning, jolting him awake in an instant.  _ The flowers are beautiful. _ The words seem innocuous, save for their lack of relevance to the harvest, but Guy recognizes them like the back of his hand. How could he not, when he’s pored over that string of letters countless times in the dead of the night. 

His vision immediately cleared of any tired blurriness, Guy’s gaze flicks to the top of the document where he’d previously neglected to take note of the report’s author. Utsuki Chikage, advisor to the throne. Of course. Despite being so forthcoming in some ways, Utsuki has still remained tight-lipped about his past. Nonetheless, Guy has an idea or two about how the man must have got ahold of the Spring Kingdom information network’s cipher keyphrase. This intel is slightly outdated and they had already changed codes several years back, so it’s not at the level of a major security breach. An act of courtesy, Guy figures. Utsuki probably knows the new keywords already.  

Despite the presence of the familiar key phrase however, Guy does not see any of the telltale mishmash of letters indicating the cipher to be decoded. It is only when he raises the parchment up to the dying candle flame does he notice a set of faint stains where flickering light passing through more thinly in some spots than others. Guy quickly switches out the candle for a new one and when he holds the document close, the code literally comes to light: invisible ink, scribbled in margins of the text. 

_ RVYQPTPCFMRJETLWCMPRY _

Even when revealed by the light, this series of letters would be inscrutable to anyone without the keyphrase. Guy immediately draws up the familiar grid of a Vigenere cipher and gets to work matching letter to row and column. What sort of message could Utsuki possibly have for him, that he’d go to such lengths to conceal it? Frantically scribbling the decoded results onto the nearest available parchment, Guy feels far, far away from the fatigue from only a few minutes past. He’s aware of his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Is this exhilaration? Suspense?

_ Y-O-U…. _

Before long, a message begins to take form.

__ YOU LEFT YOUR SASH WITH ME  
_ STINKS OF JASMINE   
_ __ MINE UNTIL YOU RETURN

It’s… Startlingly inconsequential, for all the measures that Utsuki had taken to hide it. Guy’s hand goes to the sash draped around his shoulders and recalls that yes, he had left one in Utsuki’s quarters, all those weeks ago during his visit. He has spares though, and while it is good to know that his missing garment is being kept in his absence, Guy is unclear as to why Utsuki would go to the trouble of letting him know in such a roundabout way. And to go so far as commenting on the “stink” of it… Guy reflexively sniffs his sash and finds only very slight traces of floral fragrance from his soap, hardly enough to be offensive. Utsuki must be more sensitive to smells than Guy had realized. 

Guy supposes that Utsuki may find it embarrassing should anyone else uncover this personal message, but judging by Chigasaki’s complaints, their dalliance is hardly a secret. Perhaps Utsuki simply enjoys putting Guy through the trouble of jumping through hoops in order to read something as simple as a normal correspondence. A normal correspondence where he insults Guy’s “stink”.

Objectively, this decoding exercise has been little more than a waste of Guy’s time and energy, but he feels strangely uplifted by it. Despite the annoyance and frivolity of it all, Guy can’t help but cherish the secret, personal touch of a message that could only be deciphered by the two of them. Keeping secrets may just be Utsuki’s modus operandi, but if Guy didn’t know better, he might think of it as romantic, even. Guy doesn’t know how to define the relationship between him and Utsuki, nor is he in any rush to, but he wonders if romance is something he’s allowed to think about.

At this point, there are only several hours left till morning and Guy knows that he had better get some rest so that he can function the next day. As it is, he is unlikely to get any more work done for the night. But after playing in Utsuki’s little game, the least that he could do is provide a like response. Taking up his quill, Guy drafts his reply on a scrap of parchment, to be later transcribed invisibly onto whatever document he must send back to Spring. 

_ WILL RETURN WHEN ABLE  
_ _ KEEP SAFE TILL THEN _

As he lines up the letters of his reply with the key phrase, it occurs to Guy that he cannot tell whether he wishes safety for the sash, or for Utsuki himself. At the same moment, he is struck with another one of those petty emotions that is so new to him. Utsuki must be a bad influence, he thinks, before adding one final phrase.

_ MAYBE BY THEN WILL STINK OF SPICES INSTEAD _

Guy finishes writing the last few letters with a flourish and smiles. Then he sets down his quill, blows out the candle, and heads to sleep.

He wonders what Utsuki's next code will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the first line of Chikage’s [Vigenere cipher](https://www.topspysecrets.com/vigenere-cipher.html) is actually decodeable if you want to try! Remember, the key phrase is “the flowers are beautiful”. 
> 
> Also, reminder: Ranunculus means “I am charmed by you”. :)


End file.
